May

It's our anniversary month! Wild Things have been exploring nature once a week, all year round, since May, 2010. We have some special projects to commemorate our anniversary. Come explore the bug log, examine unfurling ferns, identify and sample stinging nettles, muck around in puddles, and taste the difference between a Douglas fir and a Grand fir.

Summer

June

Explore the wonders of the sea! Join us for a splashy, muddy, and clammy good time at Marine Park near Fairhaven. On our Directions link, you'll see that there are two blue place markers. One is located in the parking lot of Marine Park, which is where we meet. Why is the second marker in the trees? Well, do you notice those little beige colored round things in the trees? Those are great blue heron nests over six feet across. This area is a heron rookery! Marine Park has many other surprising secrets just waiting for you to discover! We'll bring tiny tide pool nets and field guides to share.

July

Come explore the wild places in this neighborhood park from the perspective of a heron. There is treasure to behold as we traverse the South Bay trail and several spots to explore the intertidal life under the boardwalk. Grab a coffee and join us near the beach for a morning of discovery.

August

In any season, Lake Padden is ripe with recreational opportunities and places to explore! We traverse the trails in winter and in the summer to compare seasonal changes. We always manage to find a hill to climb, discover creatures pretending to be something they aren't, and eat plenty of delectable berries in August. We're using lots of "Super Secret Spider Spray" to reveal the beauty of shimmering spider webs. Those discoveries are priceless! The trail is stroller-friendly and water accessible. Be prepared to play in the water!

Fall

September

Join our adventurous group as we wander through this park to examine leaves of different shapes and colors, use our "Super Secret Spider Spray" to illuminate webs of all kinds, glean the rest of the blackberries, and spy on the ducks.

October

A majestic forest and wild fairyland, this beautiful place holds many magical discoveries. Interesting mushrooms are everywhere! In fact, without the benefits of the fungus among us, our forests could not exist. The variety of shapes and colors is simply amazing. Come see chunky cubes of rotten stumps, elfin saddles just waiting for a tiny rider, red coral that looks like it should be under the sea, and more. We'll find HUGE trees, lots of leaves, rotting nurse logs and mother stumps, ferns and fungus galore! We usually find lots of interesting mushrooms to see, touch, and smell. But no picking, these mushrooms are only for the forest fairies.

November

Wild Things love this park! It's a wonderful, wild oasis for an urban park. Come explore the bug log, touch trees, spy on squirrels, hunt for mushrooms, and run a race with a leaf. There will be puddles so come prepared!

Winter

December

Come explore this sweet nature nook! Well, it's more of a corridor than a nook and is frequently traveled by wildlife of all kinds. This trail winds through surprisingly diverse and mature tree stands. Check out the BIG Sitka spruce, Red alder and Grand fir trees. Come explore the sparkly frost, look at lots of lichen, practice your tree identification skills and play "Down the River."

January

Lake Padden is a wonder-full place to explore in any season. January brings the promise of fresh beginnings (and fancy mating plumage for many birds). We will be searching for the first signs of spring this month. Do you think we'll find any? As in many aspects of life, some beginnings are so tiny, so subtle as to go without notice unless you slow down and take a close look. The wonder-full thing about exploring with young children is their ability to see the world in all its detail - and be fully present in the moment.

February

We always find the first blossoms of spring on this trail. What? Flowers in February? Yes, indeed. Join us for a welcome breath of fresh air, nest counting, tree sex discovery, and a little nature fun and games.